Take-up device for circular-knitting machines.



Nb. 883g958. PATENTED APR. 7, 1908.

H. A. HOUSEMAN. I

TAKE-UP DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 17, 1907.

mmsssss: I INVENTOR M Q. (fl x 144 7 device which rests against thefabric as it passes to the tension roller.

the pawlout of action.

- following is a full,

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcn. I

HARRY A. HOUSEMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARDMACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF PENN-SYLVANIA. I

TAKE-UP nnvroa-roa CIRCULAR-KNITTING moms.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. HOUSEMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Take-UpDevices for Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the clear, and exactdescriptlon, reference being had to the accompanymg drawings, which forma part of this specification. I

The object of my invention is to intermittently and positively move thetake-up device a fixed distance.

Speaking generally, I drive the take-up device, which, as shown, is atake-up roller, by

a ratchet and pawl. I alsoprovide a tension A guard, which normallyholds the pawl inactive, is con trolled by this tension device. When theslack of-the goods reaches a certain point, the

tension device has moved sufiicient to release the guard and allow thepawl to act upon the ratchet and move the tension device and the take-uproller an amount sufficient to take up this slack. During this movementthe tension device ismoved by the fabric, in the oppos te direction, anamount sufhcient t0 agam bring the guard into action and move Myinvention also consists in certain details which will hereinafter bemore fully de scribed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an end view of my improved take-up devicewith take-up rollerindicated in broken lines.

front view of the take-up device. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of thesame with take-up roller omitted.

a is the take-up device, a take-up roller, revolving with the shaft 1).

c is the fabric.

dis the tension arm, connected to the arm e, loose on the shaft 6.

f is a crank arm connected to arm a and having connected to its outerend, the weight g. The effect of the weight g is to move the arm din adirection toward the fabric. Connected. to the arm 6 is the guardorshield h which, with the fabric taut, is slightly above the teeth ofthe ratchet 71. When the fabric -.Speci fication of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 17, 1907. Serial No. 314,120.

Fig. 2 is a Patented A ril 7, 1908.

v commences to become slack, the armd moves backward until, with acertain amount of slack, it will have moved the shield or guard hbackward so as, to uncover the'guarded tooth.

j is the operative pawl for the ratchet. This pawl is pivoted on the arm76, which is reciprocated, in the well known manner, by mechanism notshown.

When the fabric is taut, the guard or shield h holds the pawl fromaction but when the fabric reaches a iven slackness, the shield is movedbackward and the pawl becomes active, moving the ratchet and the take-uproller, both revolving with shaft 6, an amount sufficient to take upthis slack. By this arrangement the take-up-roller is positively driven,but still its movement is dependent upon the feed or making of thefabric. I thus retain all the advantage, in the latter re spect, ofmoving the take-up roller by a weight or spring, while, on the otherhand, I

avoid all the defects of non-positive driving,

which arm is connected one end of the spring n, the other end beingconnected to frame 0 of the machine. This guard m is normally held byspring n, in such position as to mask the tooth of ratchet i in advanceof tooth masked by the tension device guard, and extends toward saidtooth a distance so that the rear of this ard is in alinement with thetooth masked y the tension device guard, and is struck by-the pawl whenthe tension device guard is released. Thus during the idle lay of thepawl both the tooth, guarded by t e tension device guard, and the nexttooth forward are guarded. When the tension device guard is released thepawl moves this independent guard forward against the action of springn, which spring, in the backward movement of the pawl, returns saidindependent guard toits proper position.

The distance between 't e ratchet teeth and the movement of the tensiondevice to release the tension device guard are adjusted so that the pawlwill be rendered active w th the proper amount of slack of the goods,and

Y the active movement of the awl will cause tension device, adapted torest against the fabric, a guard, connection between said guard and saidtension device, whereby in one position of the tension device the guardrenders the pawl inactive and the other position renders it active, anda pawl guard, independent of and in advance of the tension device guard.

2. In combination, atake-up roller, a ratchet and pawl for moving saidroller, a tension device, adapted to rest against thefabric, a guard,connection between said guard and said tension'device, whereby in oneposition of the tensiondevice the guard renders the pawl inactive andthe other positionrenders it active, a pawl guard, independent of and inadvance of the tension device guard, the rear of said independent guardbeing normally in alinement with the ratchet tooth masked by the tensiondevice guard and adapted. to be struck by the pawl 1 when the tensiondevice guard is lowered.

3. In combination, a take up roller, aratchet and pawl for moving saidroller, a? tension device, adapted to rest against the fabric, a guard,connection between said guard and said tension device, whereby in oneposition of the tension device the guard renders the pawl inactive andthe other position renders it active, a pawl guard, 1ndependent of andin advance of the tension device guard, the rear of said independent ardbeing normally in alinement with the ratchet tooth masked by the tensiondevice.

" guard and adapted to be struck by the pawl when the tension deviceguard is lowered, and means .to return said independent guard, whenreleased by said pawl. Y

4. In combination, a take-up roller, a ratchet and pawl for moving saldroller, a tension device, a guard, connection between said tensiondevice and guard, whereby, in one positlon of the tenslon device theguard is elevated, and the pawl rendered inactive, and in anotherposition the guard depressed awl 5; In combinatlon, a take-up roller, aratchet and pawl for'moving said roller, a tension device, a guard,connection between said tension device and guard, whereby, in oneposition of the tension device the guard is elevated and the pawlrendered inactive,

and in another position the guard depressed and the pawl renderedactive, a pawl guard, independent of and in advance of the tensiondevice guard, the rear of said independent guard being normally inalinement with the ratchet tooth masked by the tension device guard andadapted to be struck by the pawl when the tension device guard islowered.

6. In combination, a take-up roller, a ratchet and pawl for moving saidroller, a

tension device, a guard, connection between said tension device andguard, whereby, 1n.

one position of the tension device the guard is elevated and the pawlrendered inactive, and in another position the guard depressed and thepawl rendered active, a pawl guard, independent of and in advance of thetension device guard, the rear of said independent guard being normallyin alinement with the ratchet tooth masked by the tension device guardand adapted to be struck by thepawl I when the tension device guard islowered, and means to return said independent guard when released bysaid pawl.

7. In combination, a take-up roller, a tension arm adapted to restagainst and move,

toward the fabric, a ratchet and pawl for operating the take-up roller,a guard for rendering said pawl active and inactive and connectionbetween said pawl and said tension arm, whereby the movement of the armin one-direction moves the guard to render the pawl active and themovement in the other direction moves the guard to render'the pawlinactive, and an independent guard in advance of the tension deviceguard.

8. In combination, a take-up roller, a tension arm adapted to restagainst and move toward the fabric, a ratchet and pawl for operating thetake-up roller, a guard for rendering said pawl active and inactive andconnection between said pawl and said tension arm, whereby the movementof the arm in one direction moves the guard to render the pawl activeand the movement in the other direction moves the uard to render thepawl of said independent guard be ng normally in alinement with thetooth masked by the tension device guard and ada ted to be struck by thepawl when the tens10n device guard is released. y 9. In combination, atake-up roller, a tension arm ada ted to rest against and move towardthe fa ric, a ratchet and pawl for op crating the same, a guard forrendering said pawlactive and inactive and connection be-' tween saidpawl and said tension arm, whereby the movement of the arm in onedirection moves the guard to render the pawl active and the movement inthe other direction moves the guard to render the pawl inactive, and anindependent guard in advance of-the tension guard, the rear of saidindependent gnard b'eing normally in alinement With the esspaa v 8hereunto set mg hand, at Philadelphia, on 100th masked by the tensiondevice guard this 13th day 0 May, 1907.

and min ted to be struck b the awl when the tendion device guard relased, and Y HOUSEMAN' means to return said independent, guardWitnesses:- when released by the pawl. M. M. HAMILTON In testimony ofwhich invention I have A. M. URIAN.

